Heat pipe tests on Space Shuttle flights

Heap pipes represent light-weight, highly efficient devices for thermal control. For this reason, their utilization is considered in the context of manned space flight missions and future space stations. Extensive ground tests have been conducted in connection with the development of heat pipe designs for space applications. However, the absence of gravity can affect the processes of heat pipe operation, and supplementary tests in space are necessary. The present paper is concerned with the conduction of such tests on the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01). The heat pipe payload consists of nine individual experiments. The investigation was funded jointly by West Germany and the European Space Agency. Attention is given to the experiments, ground test data, and data obtained on two flights.